When Egypt launched NileSat 101, the Middle East’s first-ever telecommunications satellite, into space on 28 April 1998, it significantly improved the speed and quality of television service. Two decades, and two other launched NileSats later, NileSat 301 catapulted into orbit on 9 June 2022. News of a satellite launching might not seem remarkable to many. Yet, much like NileSat 101, NileSat 301 plans on revolutionizing Egypt’s internet speed and expanding its television reach. Egypt’s internet: improving slowly but surely Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, and its subsequent lockdown, Egypt has been on a mission to deftly develop its internet quality. During the first months of the pandemic, in particular, Egypt’s lack of 4G and wireless broadband internet strength became apparent as homes across the nation experienced slow connection due to soaring nationwide internet usage. In the months following the pandemic, a report issued by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology indicated that internet penetration, reflecting the number of users who have access to the internet, stood at 57 percent as of September 2020, while phone penetration rate stood higher at 94 percent. Despite the…
